Brake mechanism.



S. M. WRATTEN.

' BRAKE MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 2z, 1910.

1,024,385. Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

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BRAKE MECHANISIVI.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

Application led November 22, 1910. Serial No. 593,717.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL M. VRATTEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Washington, in the county of Daviess and State of Indiana,have invented new and. useful Improvements in Brake Mechanism, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to a brake mechanism for controlling the brakeheads and brake shoes of trucks and further relates to the means forsupporting the brake heads. I-Ieretofore the brake heads and shoes havebeen supported upon brake beams by what are known as bottom connectionsand when one brake head was worn the entire brake beam and bottomconnection had to be removed so that the worn head might be cutl off ofthe brake beam. Railroad companies are experiencing considerabledifliculty from this and also have a number of wrecks on hand each yearowing to the fact that when a brake head becomes worn and gets caught inthe wheel from any cause, the entire brake beam and bottom connectionare torn away and frequent-ly thrown under the truck in such a manner asto derail the car.

It is the object of this invention to avoid these difficulties andbroadly speaking the invention consists in mounting the brake headsindividually so that should one be torn away the others could operateindependently thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for jointlyoperating all of the brake shoes of a truck with a single brake rod.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the following specificdescription is read in connection with the accompanying drawing, whichforms a part of this application, and in which Figure l is a top planview of a truck showing my device applied thereto. Fig. 2 is atransverse section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is alongitudinal section on the line 3`3 of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, l represents an ordinarytruck having the usual bolster connecting the opposite sides thereof andwith the columns 3 slightly exaggerated or enlarged, as at 4, for apurpose to be hereinafter explained. Extending across the truck onopposite sides of t-he bolster and parallel therewith are rock levershafts 5 upon opposite ends of which are journaled rock levers 6. Theselevers are connected together at their upper ends by cross bars 7 whichcarry the pivoted levers 8 and 9. These levers are connected together atone end by a link l() and the opposite end of the lever 9 is connectedto an arm 11 which is secured to the upper part of the bolster andextends at right angles thereto over one of the connecting bars 7. Theopposite end of the lever 8 is connected directly to the operating rod12 which is pivotally connected to the lever of the air rigging (notshown).

Pivotally suspended from suitable pins 13 removably secured in theenlarged portion of the columns 3 are brake head hangers 14 which arebifurcated at their lower ends so as to receive the brake heads 15arranged so as to engage the treads of the wheels 16. These hangers arefreely pivoted and permitthe brake heads or shoes thereon to be throwninto engagement with the wheels by the lower end of the rock levers 6.

It will be noticed that when the lever 8 is operated by the brake rod 12through the lever, not shown, the link 10 will be pulled and the lever 9operated to throw the rock levers into engagement with the brake heads.It will also be not-iced that if either one of the brake shoes or theheads which supportthe same wear out, t-he hanger for these brake shoesmay be removed independent of the others or if the hanger is torn outaccidentally it may be replaced without taking up much time and thebrakes may operate without it for a short period. If one of the brakehangers is torn away it drops down beneath the truck and is lost but thedamage done is slight as compared wit-h the case when the head isconnected directly to the beam and the entire beam and connectingmechanism torn away and thrown under the truck, possibly derailing thetruck.

Having thus described I claim as new is In a device of the classdescribed, the combination with a truck having track wheels mountedthereon and a bolster, of an independent brake hanger for each wheel,

the invention, whatv independent rock levers to operate each lever, anda brake rod pvoted to the oppobrake, said levers being free of thehangers, site end of the other lever. means for connecting opposite rooklevers In testimony whereof I afX my signa-ture on the same side of thebolster, a brake rod, in presence of two witnesses. e lever pvoted oneach connecting means, e v SAMUEL M. WRATTEN. connection between one endof one of said Witnesses: levers end the bolster, a connection between tELMER E. HASTINGS,

WILLrAM P. WALTER.

the opposite end of said lever and the other ve cents, oaqh, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

Copies of this patent may 'nev obtained for

